Filming Coraline
by Andy 46587
Summary: Who did you think let the public know about Coraline's adventure? Granted something like this is done with every movie & TV show, but I published my inside story. Rated K  for safety, but there shouldn't be anything here that's inappropriate for children.
1. A note from the author

**Okay, this is my first story, so you've got to read my Terms of Service**

**Andy See's terms of service**

**Laughter – My fanfictions are generally light-hearted. As such, you are required to giggle at least twice per chapter. This will lighten stress that you have been getting all your life and let you live longer.**

**Suspension of Disbelief – You know the last part of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 theme song? Well, if you think the situation is unrealistic, repeat to yourself "It's just a story, I should really just relax" (also a reference to MST3K).**

**Comments – When reviewing my story, make sure to tell me **_**how**_** my story was so great, terrible, or in-between. Don't just say "this is great, keep going" or "this sucks, start over", tell me exactly what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong**

"**Justin Bieber Rule" – Do not refer to some flash in the pan musical artist in your comments. Make sure it's one who will stand the test of time. Radiohead is fine. If you're into rap, use Jay-Z. I like to use The Who, Bruce Springsteen, Rush, and U2.**

**Have Fun while reading this – Like a said before, my fanfictions are meant to be light-hearted, so make sure you enjoy reading what I have to say.**

**Sorry, but I just had to spoof the terms of service.**

**Now, let's get on with the story.**


	2. Chapter 1

Tales of a humble Cameraman

My name is Andy See. I am a cameraman from Indiana, PA working for the United States Guild of Unique Stories (USGUS pronounced Us Gus). I get $20,000 per big story (plus, the opportunity to do as much as to double it based on popularity) and several hundred for Youtube "Pet Projects", but that is second compared to the satisfaction I get from capturing, on film, someone overcoming their personal demons.

This story started February 3, 2009. It was the day after Super Bowl XLIII and the hometown Pittsburgh Steelers had beaten the long-suffering Arizona Cardinals 27-23. I had two choices for my big production. I could fly over to France to document the trip Kim Mills was taking, or I could go to Ashland, Oregon to answer an anonymous offer from someone who only referred to herself as "The Other Mother". Despite having learned the basics of French a year earlier, I took the latter offer, just to see more of the country.

I landed at the airport in Portland on February 4th, and drove four hours just to get to Ashland. It's a town of about 21,500 people (as of 2007). It's probably best known for the Oregon Shakespeare festival, which is almost as long as the NASCAR season. It has eleven annual plays, although only about half of the plays were written by William Shakespeare himself. Up to that point, the only people I knew from that area were Ann Curry (from the Today show), & Vladimir Nabokov (the only reason I knew him was because he wrote Lolita, which became the basis for The Police song Don't Stand So Close to Me).

After staying at a local Bed & Breakfast for the night, I headed down to The Pink Palace Apartment afraid that I had missed some action. As it turned out, it was the exact opposite, the action wouldn't start for two more days. The first thing I did was a harmless prank, I put the word Houses over Palace ("John Mellencamp would approve of it" I later told Grandma Lovat), I asked all three people living there if they were the "Other Mother" who had sent me that letter. None of them knew at all what I was talking about. The mistress who I called "Grandma Lovat" reluctantly agreed to let me stay for the night. I would then stay with the Joneses for up to a week. This decision came partially because I was weary of Wybie Lovat, I have an up and down relationship with my little brother Kevin (he's obnoxious a lot to me) and I was willing to risk having the equivalent of a little sister for a week more then a little brother.

Most of February 5th was spent working on a picture montage for the World Champion Pittsburgh Steelers on an editor I had brought with me. When I woke up the next day, I immediately headed for the Pink Palace Apartments to: A) get video interviews from the Joneses; and B) help them unpack.

Turns out I had about an hour of B) to do. After that, Coraline went exploring so I decided to follow her. After her run in with Wybie, I asked her a couple of questions on film.

Me: How old are you?

Her: About Eleven.

Me: Where did you move from?

Her: Pontiac, Michigan.

This precluded me from bragging about the Steelers Super Bowl victory because the Detroit Lions went 0-16 that year.

Me: What do you like to do most?

Her: Explore my surroundings.

At this point, I went into a fantasy where she was Indiana Jones looking for the "Golden Dolly", except I got hit with a bunch of poison-tipped arrows.

Unfortunately, Coraline did not recognize the name "The Other Mother". Seeing this, I got some good footage of her exploring, it was kind of funny. Then, I found the Nordictrack machine in, well, that room that leads to the other world (more on that later). Although Coraline and her mother assumed that there were only bricks there, I pressed my hands against them.

I should probably explain why I did this. The truth is, because of my job, I got training in the ability to sense presences from up to a few miles away. Sure enough, The Other Mother let me in and showed me the world that she was going to make. I didn't know exactly why. I thought it was a demo for a new technology, or an audition tape for adoption. Whatever it was, it was going to be huge. Of course, the only time I saw her was on the bad side of One-Way Glass. Apparently, she was trying to surprise me with her looks.

I got so engrossed in the Nordictrack, that I decided to setup my belongings in that room, including a sleeping bag. At about 11:30 PM (my bedtime is 10:00 PM) Coraline woke me up, and I managed to get some amazing camera shots in The Other World. For example, you remember that Gravy Train shot? I put wheels on the underside of my video camera that matched the train tracks perfectly. What about the shot looking from the other side of Coraline's other room? I had put my spare camera in there, then used a remote control to hit record. Afterwards, I played David Bowie's "Life on Mars?" on the Other Father's piano, then physically carried Coraline back to her room in the real world.

**Hello there, this is part of a two part debut of my work on this site**

**In your reviews, make sure to list a song that you feel should have been on the Coraline soundtrack. Make sure to tell me exactly why whatever song (or songs) you pick**** should be there. I'll start you off with the first seven songs on my current version of the soundtrack.**

**1. Synchronicity I - The Police 3:23 (It's the intro music. It feels supernatural, doesn't it.)**

**2. In a Big Country - Big Country 3:55 (Coraline's theme. This is a great outlet for her adventurous personality.)**

**3. Born to be Wild - Steppenwolf 3:33 (Wybie's theme, need I say anything more?)**

**4. I still haven't found what I'm Looking for - U2 4:37 (This is a song of existential yearning, like when Coraline was looking for adventure in her house.)**

**5. Underground - David Bowie 4:36 (The Other Mother's theme. A joyful song that masks some lyrics that hint on her real intentions.)**

**More songs are coming soon. In the mean time, the other part of my debut is a similar story about Peter Pan coming tommorrow. By the way, there _will _be a crossover between these two (eventually).**


	3. Chapter 2

In the morning, I looked up David Letterman's latest Top Ten list. I didn't know Lil Wayne watched Desperate Housewives in his underwear most Sunday nights (Top Ten reasons I'm Looking forward to the Oscars). Afterwards, I got out my video camera and managed to get an interview with Bobinski:

Me: About how old are you?

Mr. B: 55 years old.

Me: How do you stay in such great shape?

Mr. B: I was a circus acrobat, and continue to train every day.

Me: How did your skin turn blue?

Mr. B: Well, just look at this medal.

I looked. It said "Hero of Chernobyl". If you don't know the significance of this, I'm not telling you, look it up yourself.

Me: Why do you live here?

Mr. B: After the Cold War ended, I wanted to see the world. After doing that through 1998, I settled down here because I was tired of the snow of Russia.

After that Bobinski jumped down from his lofty apartment, and narrowly missed getting hit in the nuts with a pair of hedge clippers. On that strange note, I decided to end the interview.

I wanted to edit the video, but Coraline insisted that I follow her into the dwelling of Miss Spink and Miss Forcible. It was certainly a strange place, pictures of old plays they had done, a wall of dead Scottish Terriers, and it looks like Miss Forcible had gotten, breast implants? I got some great shots, but I was too speechless to give an interview.

After this, I tried to go to the editor, but once again, I was diverted. This time, Wybie snuck up on Coraline. As I watched them, all I could think of was them as a teenage couple on a boat, except Wybie threw me out of that boat and hit me with the oar.

I finally got to the editor. Turns out, someone left the story of The New York Princess on it, which was slowing it down. Nevertheless, I worked on it for the entire afternoon. After dinner, I went back to the Other World to set up more camera shots. Sure enough, same time as the previous night, Coraline barreled downstairs and into The Other World. I placed the spare camera on the Mantis tractor, which made for an impressive dolly shot, but wasn't even used until it started flying and revealed that it was in the shape of Coraline's head.

At dinner-breakfast, I revealed my most impressive trick. It was a camera with an eye only two centimeters in diameter. I tied it and the powering unit around Coraline's forehead, so the viewer could see what she sees, when she saw it. It was called, the headband cam. The Other Wybie managed to move my spare camera into the apartment of the Other Bobinski so it would free me up for an interview with The Other Mother. We both cleaned up as I asked her questions. All went well until this question.

Me: Why are you doing all of this to Coraline?

OM: Well, I plan to sew buttons in her eyes as early as tomorrow, continue this for a few more weeks, and when I inevitably grow tired of it, eat her, and take her soul.

It took me about twenty seconds to form the words for another question.

Me: You do know how close the eyes are to the brain, if you botch this, you could give her permanent brain damage. Have you done this before?

OM: Yes, three times. In fact, follow me (we go into the dining room) these three silhouettes are actually the children I did this to before.

All this time I was thinking "WTF? Michael Moore should be expecting these answers, not me!" Anyway I acted like I was complying, but let me tell you how Coraline kept getting back to her own bed. Basically I carried her all the way back. That explains my mild case of scoliosis (although not nearly as bad as Wybie's).

The next day, my own dad called me. He told me I had more job offers. They were, to cover a wedding in San Francisco between Susan Murphy & Derek Dietl or help fulfill the adventure requests of a 78 year old man named Carl Fredrickson who wanted to go to Paradise Falls since he was a little kid (located in Venezuela). I would eventually choose the latter, but that's a story for another day.

Actually, it was very easy to pretend that I wasn't totally appalled by The Other Mother's plans. She simply told me to put the spare camera on a tri-pod in the theater that Other Miss Spink and Other Miss Forcible would perform in, while she hand-picked a pair of buttons for Coraline. Before I left, I snatched a pair for myself. They could be used to make blind people see, or to give robots true perception.

This time, Sunday February 8, 2009, Coraline came into the Other World way earlier (about 11:45 AM). Only about half of her huge lunch was eaten, and that was counting the fact that I ate the hot dogs. Anyway, I gave Coraline her headband cam, then immediately set up the video cameras in the Theater. Coraline got in a little hang up with The Cat.

**Hello, it's me again. At last check (it's been approximately two days), there were no reviews of this story. Come on, don't let my requirements deter you. Just think about what you're going to say more.**

**Also, I'd like to give you some more songs for your Coraline soundtracks.**

**6. The Weight - The Band 4:35 (When Coraline meets her neighbors.)**

**7. I can't Explain - The Who 2:07 (For Coraline and Wybie's quasi-romantic tensions [Also, please stop with the CoralinexWybie fanfiction. They are 11, not 18])**

**8. Imitation of Life - R.E.M. 3:57 (Fantastic Garden theme. This song is gloriously happy.)**

**9. Leningrad - Billy Joel 4:03 (Bobinski's theme. Sorry, it's the only thing Russian I can think of.)**

**10. Private Idaho - The B-52's 3:34 (The Cat's warning song. The scariness in the lyrics is masked by the all-around silliness.)**

**So, for anyone who's actually reading this story, I'll have more for you in two days.**


	4. Chapter 3

**And here's the ending to my Coraline story. I hope someone's actually reading this.**

So anyway, I watched the show, but was grossed-out when the Other Miss Forcible wore an outfit incapable of hiding her huge breasts (and for those horny men who might like it, she looked to be in her 70's). The first part of the show fell apart, but I managed to get some great footage of the second part, especially Coraline's headband cam, which provided majestic views of the whole theater before falling off just before the end of the performance (I managed to get it fixed just in time for Coraline's forth and final visit to the Other World).

In the minute it took me to get the broken headband cam back to the real world, I gave the Other Father video responsibilities. By the time I got back, Coraline was about to open a hexagonal (six-sided) box. I had this whole speech planned about how Coraline shouldn't go through with this because imagine how her real parents would feel, the horror! I didn't need to say a thing, she was appalled at the idea of buttons being sewed over her eyes. I felt that the mission was accomplished, so I went to watch the NFL Pro Bowl.

Three hours later, the game ended, the NFC won 30-21. With 5 catches for 81 yards (16.2 yards/catch) and 2 touchdowns, Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald was the game's MVP. I then went to carry Coraline back to the real world, but when I got there, I found her door locked. A few minutes later, out she came. I wanted to tell her about how great the Pro Bowl was, but she felt I was insensitive to her predicament. There isn't much to say, until we got to the newly anointed Bug Room. When the Other Mother started transforming, I followed Coraline behind the mirror, only to find that there was no way out.

I was fascinated by The Ghost Children, and wanted to know more about them, but about a minute and a half after Coraline was broken out, I was pulled out by the Other Mother. She decided I had done my job and gave me a check for $20,000 (I was surprised it didn't bounce). I also asked for more information on the Ghost Children. She gave me old papers for what the dilemma was for each child and how to make them happy, it even detailed their reactions to these things. That was our last act as allies of any sort. I left the Other World, thinking I had finally finished my job.

By the time I got back to the door, it was locked. Luckily, that was when Coraline was showing it to Wybie, so I made a big fuss, she recognized my voice, and opened the door (immediately locking it afterwards). Afterwards, I fixed the headband cam. Then I found out that Miss Spink and Miss Forcible needed a ride to the theater. Luckily, Wybies' father was free that night, so I got him to give them a drive. I got a flight for the next day from Portland to Pittsburgh leaving at 6:00 PM local time (I would stay at a hotel in Pittsburgh that night). Just when I finished with that (8:30 PM), Coraline came in telling me that her parents had gotten stolen. To quote Al Pacino (from The Godfather Part III) "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in".

I knew I wouldn't have any help from Other Worlders shooting this. Nevertheless, I tried it from the approach of only the Headband cam and my main video camera. However, because of my experience in Cross-Country, I managed to keep up with Coraline and shoot some of the best footage in my life. Even on the two occasions that the enemies captured me, they immediately realized that I was just an accomplice, not a real threat.

Coraline managed to get the eyes of the Ghost Children, but I beat her to the bug room. I asked the Other Mother why she did the things that she had done. She simply told me "Because, I need to eat, so I can live". At that point, Coraline came in, and I got shots of the climatic showdown.

It was almost done, but Coraline still needed to dispose of the key for good. Despite the hand of The Other Mother strangling her, I couldn't bring myself to crush the hand that paid me. Didn't need to, Wybie came along and defeated it. The next day, I got as much of the garden party as I could. The reason that Coraline (the movie) ended when it did was because I needed to leave at noon. After all, it's a four hour drive to Portland, and I needed to arrive two hours early just in case the security lines were long. As I left, I found a canister of glowing yellowish dust in the back seat of my car. At the time, I had no idea what it meant.

**Alright, we've reached the end of this story, so here are the rest of the songs for the soundtrack**

**11. Lullaby of Birdland - Ella Fitzgerald 2:49 (First half of the Other Ms. Spinx and Other Ms. Forcible show.)**

**12. The Whole World Lost its Head - The Go-Go's 2:57 (The second half of the aforementioned show.)**

**13. Losing my Religion - R.E.M. 4:28 (This should be playing when Coraline learns that she has to have buttons sewed where her eyes should be to stay in the Other World.)**

**14. Tea in the Sahara - The Police 4:19 (Like the group in this song, the Ghost Children were lured to something they enjoyed. Also, like the group in this song, once the Ghost Children found out that the Other Mother was actually working against them, they died because of it.)**

**15. The Seeker - The Who 3:22 (The song for Coraline looking for her parents.)**

**16. Love is a Battlefield - Pat Benatar 5:25 (This should play during Coraline's search for the Ghost eyes.)**

**17. It's the End of the World as we know it (and I feel Fine) - R.E.M. 4:07 (This sums up the Other World for Coraline.)**

**18. Perfect - Alanis Morissette 3:08 (The Other Mother's theme. Just like the role Alanis is playing, the Other Mother is loving, but crazy.)**

**19. Cherry Bomb - The Runaways 2:19 (Not only does this sum up Coraline's spirit, this hints at Dakota Fanning's next role as Cherrie Currie in "The Runaways movie".)**

**By the way, this will be crossed over with Peter Pan. The first part of the story will be uploaded May 6, the day my college semester ends.**


End file.
